Clothes hanger



E. CJBEARD CLOTHES HANGER May 21, 1935.

Filed March 14, 1934 INEN TOR. Earl C. fiedkd ATTORNEY Patented May 21, 1935 PATENT OFFICE CLOTHES HANGER Earl C. Beard, Mishawaka, Ind., assignor of onehalf to Anna M. Beard, Mishawaka, Ind.

Application March 14, 1934, Serial No. 715,398

7 Claims.

This invention relates to clothes hangers and particularly to hangers made in part of resilient material so formed that the clothes or articles to be supported thereby will not be injured.

5 The principal object of my invention is to provide a hanger having a spring metal base or frame covered with a rubber body formed to provide jaws adapted to firmly grip the article to be suspended therefrom.

A further object is to provide a hanger having rubber jaws so formed that they will not injure' or leave any marks or indentations on the articles suspended thereby even though the texture of such articles be of very delicate or light material. 15 Another object is to provide a hanger which may either be suspended from a suitable support or inserted over a line and in either case clamp the article to be supported between the jaws thereof.

Another object is to provide a hanger having a U-shaped spring metal frame or base provided with handles extending from the closed end thereof and having a rubber body covering the free ends of the frame, the rubber being slotted between the spring ends to provide jaws for firmly gripping any article to beinserted therebetween.

The above being among some of the objects of the present invention, the same further resides in certain details of construction, methods of manufacture, and arrangements of parts, which will be apparent from the detailed description to follow.

Heretofore various types of hangers and clothes pins have been used but so far as I am aware all of these devices have been unsuitable forcarrying delicate fabrics because of compression or indentation marks left on the article by such hangers or because of damage done to the fabric by the metal contacting therewith. I have provided a hanger or fastener which is suitable as a suspending means for delicate articles such as sill: lingerie or stockings and yet which is sufiiciently strong and rugged for supporting heavier articles when considerable weight is imposed on. thehanger.

In order that others may understand my in-- Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

, Fig. '4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the broken sectional line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modified form of my invention, certain parts being broken away and in sectionto better illustrate the .construction thereof.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 6-4 of Fig. 5. I

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a further modification of my invention.

Figs. 8 and 9 shows forms of handles which may be substituted for those illustrated in the previous views.

Referring particularly to Figs.' 1 to 4 inclusive, I have shown a hanger-or fastener having a U- shaped spring metal member I0 which preferably has the free ends bent outwardly at H. Handles, l2 formed to be conveniently gripped by the operator are secured to the spring l0 in any suitable manner, as, for example, by spot-welding indicated at l3. 0

As best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the spring I0 except the closed end thereof, and a portion of the handles l2 attached to the spring are covered with a rubber body It through which extends the hole l5 and which is slotted at IE to provide a pair of jaws ll between which an article A such as, for example, wearing apparel may be inserted and firmly gripped thereby. The hole I5 is provided to prevent tearing of the rubber as the jaws ii are opened by forcing the ends of the handles l2 toward each other and also to provide a means whereby the hanger may be inserted over a rod or clothes line B.

The rubber body it is preferably formed of relatively soft rubber molded into the desired shape and vulcanized to the legs of the U-shaped spring H3 and to the lower ends of the handles 8 2. Through numerous tests which have been made, it has been found desirable to position the closed end of the spring iii outwardly of the rubber body it, as is clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, to thus permit for easiermovement of the jaws ll and reduce the strain which would otherwise be imposed upon the rubber body if the closed end of the spring were mounted within that body. I also prefer to provide a recess i8 in the rubber body adjacent to the closed end of the spring H! which will permit the rubber to cold flow atthat point when the jaws W are opened to thereby relieve the stresses on the rubber body which 55 would otherwise occur. As previously stated, the free ends of the spring III are bent outwardly at II which will tend to prevent thev rubber from tearing away from the spring; however, the outwardly bent ends may be dispensed with if so desired.

In Figs. 5 and 6, I have shown a slightly modifled form of my invention in which the U-shaped spring member 20 isslotted at 2| and the metal folded back on itself at 22 to provide the handles 23, the folded over'metal being spot-welded if so desired. As illustrated, the free ends Ofr the spring 20 are preferably bent outwardly at 24.

this construction, the spring is covered with the rubber body ll, as in the previous construction, which also has a hole l5 extending therethrough to receive a wire or clothes line B, and which is slotted at I6 to provide the jaws l1, and is provided with a recess l8 to permit of the more ready compression of the rubber body when the jaws are opened. v

In Fig. 7, I have shown another modified form of my invention in whiclrI provide two spring leaves 25 over which is formed the rubber body It having a hole l5 therethrough and slotted at It to provide the jaws l1, and provided with a recess l8 as heretofore described. The spring members 25 are made of sufflcient length to provide handles 26 which are preferably connected by the member 21 formed of spring material and secured thereto by the rivets 28. Although I have shown rivets for attaching the spring member 21 to the springs 25, it will be understood that other fastening means may be provided as, for example, spot-welding.

In the views previously described, the handles are shown as'rectangular bars; however, either I or both of them may be formed as shown in Figs. 8

and'9, with a bent over end 29 or with a hole 30 extending therethrough. Either or both of the handles may be bent over at 29, as shown in Fig. 8, so that the hanger or fastener may be hooked over any suitable support or they may have the hole 30 through which aline or rod may be passed. In either case, the handles may be moved toward each other tothereby open the jaws II to receive the article to be supported therebetween.

The spring members are preferably formed of material which is sufficiently stiif to cause the adjacent faces of the'jaws ll of the rubber body to exert sufficient friction against the article to be supported so that the member carried thereby even though of considerable weight will not read-" .ily be detached therefrom. As the rubber body is preferably made of relatively soft rubber and as no metal can touch the article to be suspended from the hanger, it will be apparent that articles made of very light or delicate material will not be injured thereby, nor will the fasteners leave any compression or indentation marks on the article. Also, it will be understood that the fast'eners can be made in a variety of colors if so desired for decorative purposes.

Although I have shown three modifications of my invention, it will be well understood by those skilled in the art that other changes such as 1. A clothes hanger comprising, spaced flat metal spring portions, a rubber body covering said spring portions, means connecting said spring portions exteriorly of said rubber body, and handles connected with said spring portions extending outwardly from said rubber body, said rubber body being slotted intermediate said spring portions to provide jaws to receive an article to be supported thereby.

2. A clothes hanger comprising, a U-shaped spring, handles attached to each of the legs of said spring extending substantially parallel therewith away from the free ends thereof, and a,

rubber body covering the free ends of sai spring, and the portions of the handles adjace t to said spring, said rubber body being slotted to provide v jaws to receive an article to'be supported thereby.

3. A device of the class described comprising, spaced fiat metal spring members, a rubber body formed to provide jaws covering and vulcanized to said spring members, a fiat metal spring portion exteriorly of said rubber body connecting said spring members, and handles attached to said spring members extending outwardly beyond said rubber body for opening said jaws.

{1- A device of the class described comprising, a U-shaped spring, a rubber body slotted to form jaws covering and vulcanized to the free ends of said spring, the closed end of said spring being exposed, and handles attached to said spring extending outwardly beyond said rubber body for opening said jaws.

5. A device of the class described comprising, a U-shaped spring, a rubber body having a rod receiving hole extending therethrough and slotted from said hole to an edge of said body to form jaws covering and vulcanized to the free ends of said spring, the closed end of said spring being exposed, and handles attached to said spring for opening said jaws extending into and vulcanized to said rubber body.

6. A device of the class described comprising, a U-shaped spring, handles bent outwardly from the side faces of said spring forming slots therein, and a rubber body slotted to form jaws filling the slots formed in said spring by said handles and also covering and vulcanized to the fr ends of said spring, the closed end of said spring being exposed.

'7. A clothes hanger comprising, a U-shaped spring, a U-shaped rubber body covering and vulcanized to the free ends of said spring, the closed end of said spring being exposed, handles attached tosaid spring extending outwardly beyond said rubber body for spreading apart the legs of said rubber body, and a recess in said rubber body adjacent to the closed end of said spring to permit cold flow of said rubber body at that point when the legs thereof are spread apart.

EARL C. BEARD. 

